Meat Free Mondays: Oatmeal

I have a long history of love over breakfast foods. If my nutricionist allowed me, I could live on breakfast foods alone. My love is so deep, that I had a brunch at my wedding, and it was delicious! None of that 'brides don't eat during their own wedding' nonsense!

Lately I've been trying to be really good about what I eat. I have no choice. So, for breakfast, I've been crushing on this lovely option a couple of times a week:


Superb, isn't it? And the best part is that if you change your fruits, you get an (almost) whole new dish! Plus, it's easy-peasy to make, which is ideal for my just-out-of-bed-self.

Julie's Oatmeal

Ingredients:

-oats

-cinnamon

-raisins

-any sort of chopped fruit you have available

-water

Directions:

1. Put a little bit of water on a skillet (just enough to coat it)

2. Bring water to boil.

3. Add a mix of oats, cinnamon and raisins- you choose the ratio.

4. Mix well. When it's nearly done, add in some chopped fruit (the picture features chopped bananas and guava, yum!)

I promise it is as yummy and healthy as it looks. And if you *must*, add some brown sugar on it, but I suggest you slowly add less and less until you need none!

Meat Free Mondays: Breakfast Pancakes

In my house, we are all IHOP lovers. Seriously. I will take an IHOP meal over the fanciest spread any day. Unfortunately, the American goodness is not available in Brazil, so we have to make do with what we have. Which means searching for good pancake recipes.

Told ya we LOVE us some Ihop. No one pours Maple Syrup on to their Iced Tea like my baby!

So today I'd like to share our Pancake recipe. It's from the Country Living Cook Book and it's the easiest one I found. When I am hungry on a Sunday morning, I'll take quick pancake over fancy ones!

Pancakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

Directions:

1- Pour the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder onto a bowl and mix. Make a well in the middle.

2- In a separate bowl, mix the egg, vanilla, butter and milk.

3- Add the wet mixture to the well in the dry one.

4- Mix it up, but not too well. The lumpy batter is what guarantees a soft pancake!

5- Let it rest for five minutes.
6- Pour it on a frying pan or griddle and turn it over half way through- when it gets that brown goodie look!

Make sure you have yummy toppings to serve! My favorite (besides gallons of maple syrup) is peanut butter and mom's organic blackberry jam!